Amid multiple scandals, New York governor Andrew Cuomo tried to hold up his state’s budget over a controversial real estate deal that could dramatically reshape the central hub of one of the world’s largest cities. Cuomo’s positioning in the battle is on brand for a politician who has been accused of coddling elites: the deal he is fighting for would be a boon for one of his billionaire donors, Steven Roth, who happens to employ his longtime consigliere.

In Cuomo’s world, loyalty matters most. And perhaps no one has been more loyal — and been more rewarded for his service — than Bill Mulrow.

Mulrow, who once served as Cuomo’s top aide in government, is now moonlighting as an unpaid adviser while working at Blackstone, the private equity giant. As Cuomo faces down a federal investigation into his handling of nursing homes, more than a half dozen sexual harassment allegations, the possibility of impeachment, and numerous calls for his resignation, Mulrow has only drawn closer to his old boss, providing counsel to Cuomo regularly. Cuomo has already tasked Mulrow with overseeing the pandemic recovery.